CTA South Terminal on 95th Street Opens After Renovations

CTA riders on the South Side are now able to benefit from the upgrades implemented at the 95th Street station.

After months of construction, the south terminal finally opened overnight Saturday, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

“You can see the economic opportunity downtown,” he said. “But if you can’t get there, you can’t participate. By making sure you have a 21st Century transportation system that ensures that everyone in the city of Chicago has a chance to participate in those opportunities, we’re making sure that downtown isn’t some area glittering off in the distance.

“They’re not somewhere else. They’re not for somebody else,” he added.

CTA South Terminal on 95th Street Opens After Renovations

The project was designed to improve the overall transit experience, taking into consideration the constant high volume of travelers—to better accommodate passengers, improve safety, shorten travel times and aim for fewer delays.

According to a news release, the $280 million renovation project is considered a major milestone and the city says it has already created more than 760 construction jobs.

The station is the first of two new CTA bus and rail terminal facilities at 95th Street and the Dan Ryan Expressway.

The north terminal is expected to open later this year.

This location is one of CTA’s busiest stations, with a 24-hour Red Line service and more than 20,000 daily bus and rail passengers.

City officials said the project is the latest in more than $8 billion of transit investments made by Mayor Emanuel and the CTA since 2011, including station and track projects across the Red Line.

Other transit projects are currently in the works, including a proposed Red Line extension on the South Side of the city.